Architectural Leadership and Structuring of HRM Processes: From Leading People to Leading Processes

This paper integrates research on the human resource management (HRM) architecture with the emerging theory of architectural leadership to demonstrate the role of leaders in structuring organizational processes. Specifically, we bridge theory and practice to develop the concept of structuring HRM processes and suggest that this is a core role of the architectural leader. We first present the theoretical foundations of the construct and elaborate on the seven dimensions that constitute HRM structuring. Then, we illustrate through the design of a managerial framework of recruitment and selection process and its translation into systematic and methodological patterns of activities. We elucidate how each of the seven dimensions can be manifested in the structuring of this process. To demonstrate how architectural leaders help implement strategy through structuring HRM process, we analyze how Jack Welch, the former General Electric (GE) CEO, structured the promotion process for top executives. In so doing, we contribute to the literature on leadership and HRM by highlighting the power of leaders as architects and explicating why and how the structuring of HRM processes can create organizational value."